Collecting eggs from Free Range hens

[Just a Whittle]

Hi So I have the opportunity to get some laying Gold Laced and Silver Laced Wyandottes. They are currently completely free range... anyhow my question is how do you collect eggs from chickens that are free range.

From the suggestions on here I should not have them in with my younger chicks..... so what should I do.

Should I keep them free range and if yes the two questions I have is how do you protect them from predators and secondly how do I collect their eggs?

Thanks in advance!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

New chickens should be quarantined, then introduced to your other chickens, when they are about the same size.

My chickens are good about coming back to their coop, to lay their eggs in the nest box. New chickens need to be confined the first week, so they learn it's their new home. Then they will come back to lay and to roost.

I don't know what your predator situation is, so it's hard to comment on that, without more information. Free ranging is a risk. How big a risk depends on your individual situation and area.